Love Better Than Immortality Episode 16 Recap
> Love Better Than Immortality Recap
Xiao Bai, using his Qinggong, carried Chunhua to the riverside. His heart pounded with her close proximity, and the Fengming Sword began to resonate. Chunhua, however, did not experience the same accelerated heartbeat, pondering why she remained unaffected. Xiao Bai tried to control the sword's resonance, but to no avail. He then resolved to express his feelings, telling Chunhua that he loved her and wished for her to always call him her husband.
Upon hearing his confession, Chunhua's heart remained calm, but she rationalized her lack of emotional upheaval by attributing it to the sudden and somewhat clichéd nature of the confession. Composing herself, she accepted Xiao Bai’s declaration and urged him to take their relationship seriously. The two then shared a sweet embrace. Later that night, Chunhua lay in bed, her emotions low, clutching the Icy Silkworm Beads.
The beads unexpectedly rolled off the bed, and a figure in white entered, picking them up for her. It was Autumn Moon, whose eyes appeared somewhat red. He gently placed the Icy Silkworm Beads back on Chunhua and addressed her as "Mrs. Xiao," asking if she was excited about soon obtaining the immortality fruit. Chunhua, reflecting on her choice to pursue love over eternal life, responded that she desired only love, not immortality.
Autumn Moon countered that love was merely a spectacle for others' amusement, suggesting that in Xiao Bai's heart, she might not even rank higher than his Fengming Sword. Chunhua remained silent, offering no retort. Autumn Moon then challenged her to put his assertion to the test. Meanwhile, Chief Feng confronted Chief Leng. Chief Feng revealed that Chief Leng had been using Xiao Bai's name to slaughter many members of orthodox sects, falsely claiming to be cleansing their ranks.
In reality, Chief Leng's true motive was to eliminate anyone who sought the immortality fruit. Exposed, Chief Leng engaged Chief Feng in battle. Chief Feng, however, proved no match for Chief Leng and ultimately succumbed to his sword. Afterward, Autumn Moon and Ye Xing Shi discovered Chief Feng's body, prompting Autumn Moon to instruct Mr. Shi to prepare a fine coffin for him. In pursuit of the immortality fruit, prominent figures from various major sects began to gather.
Fu Lou was also among them, resolute in his determination to acquire the fruit. He found Autumn Moon's apparent disinterest perplexing and resolved to uncover Autumn Moon's vulnerabilities. Leng Ning, still at odds with Qin Liufeng, declined to accompany him. When they arrived at an inn, only one room remained available. The waiter, mistaking Feng Caicai and Leng Ning—who was disguised in men's clothing—for a married couple, assigned the last room to them.
Leng Ning found the situation amusing and agreed to share the room with Feng Caicai. Chunhua, desiring private time with Xiao Bai, deliberately lingered in the room he shared with Qin Liufeng. Qin Liufeng, discerning her intentions and wishing to facilitate a romantic moment for them, subtly handed Xiao Bai a small flower, signaling him to seize the opportunity, and then gracefully exited the room.
Xiao Bai presented the flower to Chunhua, who asked him to tuck it into her hair. As he did, a white chess piece slipped from Xiao Bai. Chunhua recognized it as a gift she had given him, and Xiao Bai assured her he would safeguard her sentiment. Chunhua then showed him a star she had woven from red thread, asking if it symbolized the red string of fate tying them together, to which Xiao Bai shyly agreed.
She placed the chess piece in the center of the star, explaining it represented "turning stars into a single heart," and the two shared sweet smiles. Xiao Bai mentioned he would go out to assess the situation. Chunhua, overjoyed, departed ahead, completely forgetting that Qin Liufeng was still present. Xiao Bai, realizing Chunhua's exclusive focus on him, smiled sweetly. Upon reaching the entrance, Chunhua and her group encountered Chief Suifeng, who had previously excused himself due to family matters.
Chunhua immediately exposed his true intention for being there: the immortality fruit. Angered, Chief Suifeng prepared to confront Chunhua, but Xiao Bai’s attempt to protect her was subtly thwarted by Qin Liufeng. Feng Caicai spoke up in Chunhua’s defense. Chief Suifeng, scoffing, then revealed that Chief Leng and Chief Feng were both present, unsettling Leng Ning and Feng Caicai. Qin Liufeng reassured them, stating he knew both chiefs well and they shouldn't be concerned.
At the general gathering of sects, Qin Liufeng proposed a toast, expressing his honor to be among the chiefs in Bishui City. Qin Liufeng's father, Chief Qin, also present among the guests, spoke briefly of benefiting from misfortune, mentioning an incident involving his daughter before quickly dismissing further detail. Xiao Bai, as the Junior Leader, then addressed the assembled chiefs, acknowledging that they had gathered for various reasons, particularly with the auction of the immortality fruit approaching in an hour.
He emphasized that as righteous members of the Wulin, they should prioritize the order of the martial arts circles, especially with evil sects potentially lurking. Xiao Bai advised those interested in the immortality fruit to prepare their silver and compete according to the established rules. He then joined the other chiefs for a meal, while inwardly prioritizing the overall situation over personal matters, deciding not to ask them about Chunhua's whereabouts. Back in her room, Chunhua meticulously dressed.
Recalling the flower Xiao Bai had given her, she decided to procure an even more beautiful one for him. She ventured out to a flower stall, where she was about to select a bloom when it was snatched by Lady You Si's maid. Just as a dispute was about to erupt, another of Lady You Si's maids recognized Chunhua. Lady You Si herself then intervened, gifting the flower to Chunhua and extending an invitation to Legend Valley for flower appreciation.
Chunhua initially hesitated but, upon learning that Fu Lou would not be present and perceiving the genuine sincerity in Lady You Si's eyes, she reluctantly accepted. Lady You Si later asked Chunhua about the upcoming immortality fruit auction, explaining that Fu Lou sought the fruit as a cure for his illness. Unsure how to respond, Chunhua requested to go for a walk. As Chunhua strolled through a flower sea, Autumn Moon once again materialized.
He provocatively asked if Xiao Bai would cultivate such a flower sea for her as Fu Lou had. Chunhua countered that Xiao Bai's affection was sufficient. Autumn Moon persisted, questioning her true value in Xiao Bai's eyes compared to the Fengming Sword. Chunhua rebuked him for his meddling, asserting that she was not his sister, he did not require her martial arts knowledge, nor did she possess any practical use for him, so his intense interest was unwarranted.
Autumn Moon then declared his intention to either keep Chunhua by his side or eliminate her. Frightened, Chunhua promised to be an obedient wife after marrying Xiao Bai and pleaded for her release. Angered, Autumn Moon kissed her, biting her in the process. Just then, Lady You Si's maid arrived looking for Chunhua, prompting Autumn Moon to depart. Chunhua then overheard a clandestine conversation between Fu Lou's subordinates and Lady You Si's maid, plotting her capture.
She attempted a quiet escape, but Fu Lou's men quickly discovered her. Just as they were about to seize her, Chunhua desperately called for Autumn Moon through her Icy Silkworm Beads, reciting a line, "When will Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon end?" Fu Lou's subordinates then struck her unconscious. Autumn Moon, appearing just in time, rescued Chunhua, expressing satisfaction that she had thought to call for him in her moment of peril.
He explained to her that he had already informed Xiao Bai that he had kidnapped her, which was why her hands were tied. Autumn Moon then made a bet with Chunhua: he would wager that Xiao Bai would miss the auction and come to rescue her, questioning her perceived value to Xiao Bai compared to the Fengming Sword. Meanwhile, Xiao Bai and his companions had discovered Chunhua's disappearance and were anxiously searching for her.
Leng Ning complained that Chunhua was a burden and shouldn't have been brought along. Autumn Moon had set the exchange of Fengming Sword for Chunhua at midday, which conflicted with the immortality fruit auction starting a quarter past midday. Qin Liufeng suggested that Xiao Bai prioritize rescuing Chunhua, proposing he attempt to retrieve her and return before the exchange time. Xiao Bai agreed to this plan, assuring them he would rejoin them as swiftly as possible.
His companions, including Qin Liufeng, pledged to stabilize the auction's proceedings until both he and Chunhua returned safely. Autumn Moon brought Chunhua back to Thousand Moon Cave, where he patiently cared for her, amused by her docile demeanor. However, while delirious, Chunhua called out Xiao Bai’s name, causing Autumn Moon’s expression to instantly harden. When she awoke, worried about Xiao Bai, Chunhua tried to persuade Autumn Moon to return to Bishui City to witness the excitement, but he flatly refused.
Chunhua then noticed that the bracelet Xiao Bai had given her was missing, realizing Autumn Moon was plotting something malicious. Autumn Moon simply told her to quietly watch the unfolding drama. Autumn Moon, speaking to a subordinate, commented on how boring it had become since Chunhua left, musing that he and Chunhua were of similar age, and wondered if she and Xiao Bai would witness the impending "big show" at the auction from afar.
At the auction, the atmosphere grew tense as the time for the immortality fruit auction approached. The price of entry was high, and it was announced that only one fruit existed, implying a fight for survival among those present. Attendees grew restless, demanding to know where the fruit and Mr. Shi were, as many believed Mr. Shi was the key to verifying the fruit's authenticity.
It was revealed that many of the orthodox sects had been trapped by a dark curtain and were forced to fight each other, leading to a bloodbath. Fu Lou, observing the chaos, expressed his intention to appear at the "bloody auction" himself. Qin Liufeng's father and Chief Suifeng were also present, observing cautiously, realizing the chaotic nature of the event and deciding to avoid the "muddied waters" for now.
Just as Autumn Moon was commenting that Chunhua didn't seem to be worth a Fengming Sword, Xiao Bai arrived as promised. He challenged Autumn Moon, declaring his intention to reclaim Chunhua. Autumn Moon attempted to instigate a fight between Xiao Bai and his subordinates, but Xiao Bai, adhering to Fengming Mountain Villa's rule of not killing women with the Fengming Sword, only injured his subordinates. Xiao Bai confronted Autumn Moon, who demanded the Fengming Sword in exchange for Chunhua.
Xiao Bai threw the sword. Autumn Moon, however, went back on his word and tried to strangle Chunhua, before ultimately releasing her. As Xiao Bai retrieved his Fengming Sword, Autumn Moon mocked him, revealing that the sword contained Icy Silk. Autumn Moon then explained to Chunhua that no one knew there was Icy Silk on Xiao Bai's Fengming Sword, an item he later discovered was a relic left by his deceased father.
He further explained that he only learned of the Icy Silk's connection to Thousand Moon Cave after he learned about Shangguan Hui, assuring Chunhua he would address these matters as soon as possible.
